David Ayer, director of 2016's Suicide Squad, has unveiled new pictures from the so-called "Ayer Cut" of the film. Similar to 2017's Justice LeagueSuicide Squad was detrimentally impacted by studio interference from Warner Bros., who felt that Ayer's original cut did not meet the studio's standards. The clash of conflicting creative visions and meddling executives resulted in a final product that was ultimately panned by critics and audiences alike, despite earning a sizeable profit at the box office.

Over the past several months, fans have campaigned for Warner Bros. to release Ayer's original cut of Suicide Squad. This comes off the heels of the successful #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement, where fan campaigns actually convinced the studio to give director Zack Snyder a second shot at realizing his creative vision for Justice League. Although Ayer is less optimistic about his own film's chances, he nevertheless continues to tease images and story beats from his cut of the film. At one point, the director even commented on a leaked script for the original cut of Suicide Squad.

Related: Why The Suicide Squad's Credits Thank David Ayer

Now, Ayer has released new images of Jared Leto's depiction of the Joker, as well as one of his henchman, on his Instagram story. The first image shows the Joker in the now-infamous "circle of knives" hotel room set, holding a gun to his own head. The second image shows the Goat Head Priest wielding a rifle, presumably during the assault on Arkham Asylum as briefly depicted in the final film. Check out the images below:

Suicide Squad Ayer Cut Joker Image
Suicide Squad Ayer Cut Joker Henchman

Leto's depiction of the Clown Prince of Crime is one of the more controversial aspects of the original film, perhaps in part due to the character's underdevelopment. Indeed, script leaks of the Ayer Cut confirm that the Joker's role in the film was significantly altered for the final cut. The hotel room and the assault on Arkham scenes last for just a few seconds in the theatrical release. However, Ayer's teases seem to indicate that these portions of the film were more fleshed out in his version of the script.

Ayer's glimpses into his original film cut continue to rake in likes and shares on social media, particularly from dedicated DC fans who want to see the director's original cut for Suicide Squad come to fruition. Given the precedent set by Zack Snyder's Justice League, the Ayer Cut is unquestionably within the realm of possibility – especially considering the fact that, according to Ayer, the cut is only a few unfinished VFX scenes away from being complete. Even if the Ayer Cut doesn't live up to expectations, its release would at the very least provide the director some much-deserved closure.

More: Suicide Squad: Why Releasing David Ayer's Cut On HBO Max Would Be Smart

Source: David Ayer/Instagram

Key Release Dates